1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an indicator unit and a television set, and more particularly, it relates to an indicator unit comprising a light source portion and a display portion and a television set comprising a disk unit including this indicator unit.
2. Description of the Background Art
An indicator unit comprising a light source portion and a display portion is known in general, as disclosed in each of Japanese Patent Laying-Open Nos. 2005-4055, 2005-327548 and 9-127886 (1997), for example.
The aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-4055 discloses a light-emitting diode display (indicator unit) comprising a light-emitting diode (light source portion) and a display portion. In this light-emitting diode display, a sacrificial board having a plurality of openings is arranged between the display portion and the light-emitting diode, in order to enlarge a region of the display portion irradiated with light from the light-emitting diode. The light from the light-emitting diode progresses toward the display portion while causing interference when transmitted through the openings, whereby the region of the display portion irradiated with the light can be enlarged.
The aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-327548 discloses an indicator unit comprising a light-emitting diode (light source portion) and an LED lens including a display portion. In this indicator unit, the light-emitting diode is arranged on a position separating from the display portion in both of the depth direction of the indicator unit and a direction orthogonal to the depth direction. A photoreceiving portion so obliquely formed as to extend in the depth direction and the direction orthogonal to the depth direction from a portion around the front side (display direction) of the light-emitting diode toward the display portion is provided between the light-emitting diode and the display portion. This photoreceiving portion includes a fine corrugated shape on the surface closer to the light-emitting diode. Thus, light emitted from the light-emitting diode progresses toward the display portion in a diffusedly reflected state when transmitted through the photoreceiving portion, whereby a region of the display portion irradiated with the light can be enlarged.
The aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 9-127886 discloses an indicator unit comprising an LED (light source portion) and a display window (display portion). In this indicator unit, an LED lens is arranged between the LED and the display window, in order to enlarge a region of the display window irradiated with light from the LED. In this LED lens, a semicylindrical photoreceiving portion convexly bent with respect to the LED is provided on the side closer to the LED, and a light-emitting portion having a serrated surface is provided on the side closer to the display window. According to this structure, the light from the LED progresses toward the display window while diffusedly reflected when transmitted through the LED lens, whereby the region of the display window irradiated with the light can be enlarged.
In the light-emitting diode display described in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-4055, however, the sacrificial board including the plurality of openings must be provided between the light-emitting diode and the display portion in order to enlarge the region of the display portion irradiated with the light from the light-emitting diode, while a prescribed depth is required in order to enlarge the region of the display portion irradiated with the light from the light-emitting diode causing interference. Therefore, the depth of the light-emitting diode display must disadvantageously be increased.
In the indicator unit described in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-327548, the LED lens including the display portion and the photoreceiving portion is provided in order to enlarge the region of the display portion irradiated with the light from the light-emitting diode (LED), and the LED is arranged on the position separating from this LED lens in the depth direction. Therefore, the indicating unit has a depth corresponding to the sum of the depths of at least the LED lens and the LED, and hence the size of the indicator unit must disadvantageously be increased in the depth direction.
In the indicator unit described in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 9-127886, the LED lens including the semicylindrical photoreceiving portion and the light-emitting portion having the serrated surface must be arranged between the LED and the display window in order to enlarge the region of the display window irradiated with the light from the LED, and hence the distance between the LED and the display window is increased. Therefore, the depth of the indicator unit must disadvantageously be increased.